TRAVELLERS at Aberdeen airport could face major disruption after British Airways cabin crew voted to strike in the run-up to Easter.
Hundreds of passengers, who use the daily service between Aberdeen’s Dyce airport and Heathrow, could be caught up in the travel chaos.
And today British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh launched a scathing attack on union bosses following the announcement of seven days of strikes by cabin crew.
Unite said thousands of its members will walk out for three days from March 20 and for four days from March 27 after the collapse of talks aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and working conditions.
Mr Walsh said the move was “another cold-blooded threat” to the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers.
Mr Walsh accused the union of being stuck in a time warp and said it was blind to the difficulties the airline faces in the “worst recession for 80 years”.
Insisting the airline would not be grounded by the strikes, Mr Walsh said: “The flag will continue to fly.”
But a BA spokesman refused to guarantee any service would run between Heathrow and Aberdeen on strike days.
BA operate six flights, each way, daily between Aberdeen and Heathrow. Alternative services are on offer by BMI to Heathrow, EasyJet to Luton and Flybe to Gatwick.
Flybe has also announced it would increase the number of seats from Aberdeen.
Bob Collier, chief executive of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is unfortunate that business and other travellers face potential disruption or cancellation of flights.”
Aberdeen North Labour MP Frank Doran urged both sides “to get together and hammer out their differences”.